Interview with Ruthilde Emmy Ottilie Annemarie

German schoolchild in Raboldshausen and Ersten, Germany, 1939-1945

REEL 1 Background in Raboldshausen, Germany, 1933-1939: father Walter Metz's, position as a pastor with the Evangelical Reformed Church and the Confessing Church; education; awareness of political situation in Germany; daily life under regime; details of the Confessing Church; story of father and Helmut Dipper's reaction to an anti-Semitic speech; memories of Helmut Dipper; degree of awareness of father's situation; own son's preference for Judaism; description of Nazi Parades; reaction to family's non-conformity; attendance of grandmother at a speech given by Adolf Hitler; question of political indoctrination including education; role of Confessing Church in standing up to Nazism and own fear to do so; activities with League of German Girls; father's short period in German army. Aspects of period as schoolchild in Raboldshausen and Ersten, Germany, 1939-1945: outbreak of war; reaction to fall of France, 6/1940; attitude towards British. REEL 2 Continues: news of war; changes to father's work; story of local Nazi leader bringing news of deaths; memories of local man killed in war; arrival of and help given to refugees; outlook on situation; civilian morale; rations during and after Second World war; Allied air raids in Kassel and Ersten; shelter taken from Allied air raids; contribution to war effort; activity of father during war including reaction to fellow anti-Nazi Christians sheltered by family; knowledge of concentration camps; story of confirmation; brother's service in German Army; United States Army passing through town, 1945; return of German forces; appearance of weapons in garden, 1945. Aspects of period as civilian in Ersten, Germany, and United States, 1945-1951: rations; civilian work in hospital with ex-soldiers; prior recollection of German attitude to Josef Goebbels including wartime joke; civilian attitude to war; war service and memories of uncles. REEL 3 Continues: talking about experiences to children in United States of America; attitude to Jews since war including meeting of husband Peter Kronberg; reasons for emigration to United States of America; discussion of German collective guilt; opinion of father Walter Metz; religious beliefs including opinion of congregations; son's decision to follow Judaism and further details of talking about experiences.